52 Films by Women Vol 9. 51. Los Domingos (Sundays) (Director: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa)
At seventeen, Ainara
(Blanca Soroa), the heroine of Spanish writer-director Alauda Ruiz de Azúa’s
third feature film, Los
Domingos, enjoys her brief stay
at a convent so much that she wants to go back. Early in the film, on the day
of her sister’s Holy Communion, she asks her father, Bilbao restauranteur Iñaki
(Miguel Garcés), if she might return. Irritated and late, he doesn’t object but
doesn’t want to decide straight away. Ainara lost her mother when she was
young. Her mother’s gift to her was a pendant. Ainara recalls being told, ‘Wear
it and the Virgin Mary will be with you.’ The quote isn’t accurate. The Virgin
Mary will only be there if Ainara needs her. For Ainara, Catholicism appears to
be a means by which she can remain connected to her mother. She feels nothing
for her father’s girlfriend, Estíbaliz (Leire Zuazua) whom she only sees on the
Sundays of the title, when the extended family, including Ainara’s aunt Maite (Patricia
López Arnaiz) and grandmother (Mabel Rivera) gather for lunch.
Of the family, Maite
is the most concerned about Ainara’s decision to undertake discernment, an
open-ended period of reflection prior to becoming a nun. During discernment, a
woman arrives at an understanding as to what purpose God wants her to fulfil. At
the convent where Ainara wishes to serve, ‘purpose’ consists of baking and
selling biscuits to maintain their seclusion. Maite wants Ainara to keep her
options open, to go to university, to travel. Though perhaps not to Ireland, we
are told. Too many Catholics. Maite’s
relationship with her unemployed husband, Pablo (Juan Minujín) is strained. At
Sunday lunch, he expresses an aversion to taking the civil service exam, a
different sort of calling. Maite appears to be the family breadwinner, with a
job as a cultural director. When she explains her work, a nun tells her that
she didn’t know such professions existed, a comment that relativises Maite’s perspective;
what is culture but a religion with a different God. Maite is keen that Ainara’s
teenage experiences are expanded and asks one of Ainara’s schoolfriends to
help.
Ruiz de Azúa’s
exceptional film considers how reliable are the choices we make about love and
work. Maite is convinced that Ainara’s religious calling is like a crush,
though Iñaki informs her, ‘she believes in God like you believe in climate change’.
Maite learns that Ainara briefly spent time with a boy, Mikel (Guille Zani), whom
she met in the choir and who moved on to another girl. Possibly encouraged by
one of Ainara’s friends, Mikel renews his interest, lying next to Ainara during
a sleepover. This is preceded by an awkward teenage ‘confessions’ game in which
classmates declare what they have never done, such as fall in love with a
female teacher. Ainara avoids making a statement, quietly sipping her drink.
Throughout, we
puzzle over the substance of Ainara’s faith. We wonder whether she sees Sister
Isabel (María Rodríguez Maribona Delgado) as a surrogate mother. Early on,
Ainara’s own mother is described as mad. ‘It is just as well she [Ainara] did
not know her,’ Maite remarks, asking Iñaki whether he would have divorced if
Ainara’s mother had not died. ‘Yes,’ he concedes. Ainara has two younger
sisters, but seems unconnected to them, almost as if they were born to
Estíbaliz, who subsequently gives birth to Iñaki’s fourth child. We contemplate
whether Ainara’s shares her late mother’s mental illness.
Iñaki is less
concerned by Ainara’s choice, especially when he finds out that it will not
cost him any money. Women enter the convent ‘free of debt’. He is more
interested in his restaurant than his children, taking out a loan of Euro
300,000 or so to refurbish it. Maite is appalled that Iñaki won’t take out a
further loan to finance Ainara’s travels, with the purpose of expanding her
horizons. The refurbishment costs are an investment; the restaurant keeps the
family afloat.
Pictured: 'Almighty God. I pray you do not take Ainara from us in order that she may save her younger sisters from sinful lives.' Uncle Pablo (Juan Minujín, left) amuses niece Ainara (Blanca Soroa, right) in a scene from the Spanish family drama, 'Los Domingos' ('Sundays'), written and directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. Still courtesy of BTEAM Pics (Spain).
Supporting his wife,
Pablo tries to reach Ainara through humour. In his lounge, he prays to God that
Ainara stays in order to mind her two sisters who will surely fall into sin.
Maite regards it as proof that Pablo is not taking the issue seriously. While
Maite has a conversation with Ainara, Pablo decides to give their son a bath. He
pops in and out of the kitchen asking for the lice shampoo. Maite says she’ll
look for it later. Pablo finds it and makes one final complaint. In a
counterpoint to this scene, Maite comes home to find Pablo and their son asleep
in the same bed. ‘I kissed a silly man at a party,’ she confesses, awakening
Pablo from his slumber. ‘I want to tell you that it doesn’t matter. Don’t you
care?’ Pablo is more concerned that she’ll wake up their son. ‘I’m tired. I’ll
care tomorrow,’ he responds, closing his eyes.
Spending an
afternoon in Ainara’s room, Mikel kisses her. She doesn’t object. When he
removes his shirt, she takes off their top. He climbs on top of her as they
continue kissing. Suddenly they are spotted through the open door by one of
Ainara’s sisters. Ainara has some explaining to do.
Ainara has a
spiritual advisor at school, a young priest who invites Ainara to take part in
a trust exercise in which she is blindfolded, relying entirely on the group to
tell her where to walk. She becomes the walking embodiment of faithful
obedience, with no choice but to follow instruction and abandon independent
thought.
The result is that
Maite and Iñaki take Ainara to the convent. At this stage, it appears the
purpose has changed. The stay is as much about protecting Ainara from boys.
Ainara is pleased to see Sister Isabel and is shown her room. Maite and Iñaki
request a meeting. Maite is surprised that the nuns use a mobile phone. She is
told that it makes it easier to keep in contact with Sisters overseas. The
suddenly buzzing of the phone during a period of contemplation is at first
anachronistic then serious.
Pictured: Ainara (Blanca Soroa) settles down to a meal at the start of her discernment in the Spanish family drama, 'Los Domingos' ('Sundays'), written and directed by Alauda Ruiz de Azúa. Still courtesy of BTEAM Pics (Spain).
Ainara settles into
convent life, receiving a welcome card at an otherwise silent dinner, in which
the nuns help themselves rather than be served. She joins the Sisters in prayer
and packing cookies. The film’s focus switches to Maite. Her marriage unravels
and in a further discussion with Ainara, after an incident that briefly takes
Ainara home, she loses her credibility, describing the nuns as crazy. She is
angry with her brother. It is implied that a property needs to be sold in order
to ensure that Iñaki’s loan is guaranteed; Maite is denied an inheritance. In
the closing scenes, she drafts her will, ensuring that in the event of her
death, neither Iñaki nor Ainara will be responsible for looking after her son. The
final image reflects on Maite’s estrangement.
The performances are uniformly excellent. Emotion is
conveyed through looks. When Ainara explains herself to Maite, Maite smiles
while keeping her mouth closely, wishing to convey empathy but not too much
enthusiasm. Ainara’s decision causes her aunt to question the foundations on
which relationships are built. There is no certainty, only faith, something you
tell yourself in order that it will become true.
Reviewed at International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands,
Nieuwe Luxor Theatre, Saturday 7 February 2026, 10:00am screening
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